Ad scams 2
Most of the ads you saw here were for reputable companies with products that work. Regarding pharmaceuticals, products were advertised here made by the following companies in alphabetical order: Diabetes Mellitus *Intervet *Lilly *Novo Nordisk *Sanofi-Aventis Cushing's Disease *Dechra-Vetoryl There are no drugs any of these companies are selling for any condition that have not been required to gain FDA approval. Bottom line is that if the drug can be proven safe and effective against the disease or condition it's meant to cure or alleviate, it gets approved. We were, however, invaded by some companies who have very bad reputations and whose products are not (and have never been) approved by FDA or any other pharmaceutical governing body to treat the conditions these companies claim to treat and in some cases, to cure. It was their continual "participation" in sponsoring these pages with their ads for sham cure-alls for conditions from A-Z that led to the decision to pay Wikia to make this wiki ad-free. Note that those who have less than legitimate products tended to target certain pages for selling their phony remedies and cures; most of them were appearing on the same pages-see lists below. Like a group of thugs on a street corner in a tough neighborhood, they lie in wait for someone who's vulnerable. They want the same thing as the street thugs do--your wallet or purse. The street criminal's approach is direct-he/she wants your money. There's no pretense of trying to help you as the scammers do. You're able to take legal action against the street criminals by filing a police report. The fine print on the scammers' websites tries to intimidate you by prohibiting you from doing something similar with them . No street corner thugs try to tell you they're here to "educate" or "inform" you while robbing you; this is the claim of the scammers. Their ads have disappeared from this wiki but you can be sure you'll see these hucksters and others like them on other sites dealing with diabetes. During their "stay" here, some ad phrases they use were collected. We'll leave them on these pages for reference; these are not all-conclusive lists of phrases, but you can bet their pitches will be worded very much like them. One of them, Petwellbeing, has a series of "cure" videos on YouTube. Native Remedies/Pet Alive uses different names, but has at least 5 blogs/sites to pump their misinformation from in addition to their website. Another, VetIonx, has connections to Techmedica: "Pham pleaded guilty on July 2, 2009, to his role in the conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and to one count of wire fraud. Pham owned and operated Techmedica Health, Inc., located in Grand Rapids. Pham admitted that he used Techmedica to repackage, sell, market, and distribute unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs over the Internet. Web sites used by Techmedica contained materially false testimonials, product information, and identification of medical professionals. "Techmedica fabricated fraudulent customer identities using photographs purchased from Istockphoto.com. Testimonials attributed to these fraudulent identities touted the effectiveness of the unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs. Techmedica also posted one of the Istockphoto.com photographs on their Web sites to fabricate a non-existent physician, Dr. Judy Hamilton, for the purpose of lending authenticity to and endorsing product claims about Diabeticine for customers with Type I and Type II diabetes. The person identified as Dr. Hamilton was in fact a model from California. This same model's photograph was also used by Pham on another Web site to fabricate a non-existent nurse, Bethany Hunt, RN, to tout the effectiveness of the unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs. "Techmedica, through Pham, operated several Web sites using mirror image technology. When each of these Web sites was accessed from an FDA network computer, they displayed a “sanitized” version of the Web site containing medical claims that attempted to comply with the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. However, when each of these Web sites was accessed from a computer whose IP address could not be traced to the FDA, they displayed claims that the dietary supplements could cure, mitigate, treat, and prevent diseases, so that these supplements were sold as unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs." The chiropractor, who at one time pretended to be a veterinarian, mentioned in connection with Alternative Treatments 1,2, 6 and 7, was and may still possibly be the CEO of Techmedica . Sadly, the ones named here aren't the only ones with sham products to sell. Other scammers with similar products designed to do nothing except lighten your purse or wallet use phrases, "promises" and "guarantees" similar to those collected here. What they all have in common is they try to offer you a "secret" that supposedly has eluded those with medical degrees who have worked in and researched the disease in question for many years. Some others are listed on Ad scams. Alternative medication warnings offers some investigative information about these companies and others. Bad Medicine-Diabetes Mellitus-Petwellbeing Bad Medicine-Other conditions-Petwellbeing Petwellbeing Fine Print Bad Medicine-Diabetes Mellitus and other conditions-VetIonx Vetionx Fine Print Bad Medicine-Diabetes Mellitus and other conditions-PawHealer PawHealer Fine Print On August 15, 2010, someone identifying him/herself as "Pawhealer" made the following complaint about the content of this page: 15-Aug-10 15:36 UTC "This content is not accurate. This as (sic) been posted by someone who is making claims that business...(sic) such as my own are ripping people off. They have no proof to that, they have never purchases. (sic) The claims that tey (sic) mention ARE REQUIRED BY THE FDA.....since herbs are not a drug, it is required that we say that. "Whoever posted this comment did so without understanding FDA law and how we are suppose (sic) to operate. WE ARE REQUIRED TO DISCLAIM, IT IS THE LAW. THIS PAGE SHOULD BE REMOVED." And the reply: "Disclaimer: The products offered on this web site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease. '''"The information and statements presented on this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The use of herbs and essential oil for the prevention, treatment, mitigation or cure of disease has not been approved by the FDA or USDA. We therefore make no claims to this effect. "We are not veterinarians or doctors. The information on this site is based on the traditional and historic use of herbs as well as personal experience and is provided for general reference and educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or promote any direct or implied health claims. This information is and products are not intended to replace professional veterinary and/or medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your vet and/or doctor. We present the products on this site and the information supplied here without guarantees, and we disclaim all liability in connection with the use of these products and/or information. Any person making the decision to act upon this information is responsible for investigating and understanding the effects of their own actions." Pawhealer This is the fine print from all your website pages. Nothing you are trying to sell has been approved by FDA as a genuine treatment for diabetes, and you admit that in the fine print shown above. If you were more aware of the proper treatment for diabetes in dogs, you would realize that they are insulin-deficient and nothing except replacing that insulin by injections will work. Dr. Deborah Greco, an internal medicine vet specialist: BD Diabetes-Ask Dr. Greco From BD's Ask Dr. Greco Page--FAQ About Canine Diabetes: "Q: Are there alternatives to insulin injections?" "A: Not yet, but researchers are working on new therapies." "Q: Are there any vitamin or mineral supplements that will reduce my dog's dependence on insulin?" "A: No. Dogs generally have type 1 diabetes. Their pancreas produces no insulin at all, so they need insulin injections in order to survive. Vitamins and minerals cannot replace the action of insulin. If you give your dog vitamin supplements, you still need to give it insulin injections." Intervet Vetsulin FAQ's "What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?" "Insulin is produced by the beta cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes is due to the destruction of the beta cells with progressive and eventual complete loss of insulin secretion. This type always requires insulin therapy.' Type 2 diabetes is characterized by dysfunctional beta cells (irregular insulin production) or the other cells of the body not responding to insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes may or may not require insulin therapy. In general, all dogs have type 1 diabetes and require insulin to control their disease." What you are meant to do to "operate" is to submit your "medications" for FDA approval. If they are found to be effective in controlling diabetes, then FDA will officially permit you to market them. This wiki is not here for the promotion of non-approved substances to control diabetes mellitus, but for the discussion of real, legitimate help and treatments for the disease. The FDA requires those selling substances making medical claims to have them approved by the agency or cease marketing them in such a manner. Read the Warning Letter here: FDA Warning Letter-Techmedica "This is to advise you that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed your web site at the Internet address http://www.techmedica.com and www.diabeticine.com and has determined that the products Prolipamy™, Uricinex™, Diabeticine™, and Cholestasys Rx™ are promoted for conditions that cause these products to be drugs under section 201(g)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) U.S.C. § 321(g)(1). The therapeutic claims on your web sites establish that these products are drugs because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. The marketing of the products with these claims violates the Act." "Under the Act, as amended by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, dietary supplements may be legally marketed with truthful and non-misleading claims to affect the structure or function of the body (structure/function claims), if certain requirements are met. However, claims that dietary supplements are intended to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat, or cure disease (disease claims), excepting health claims authorized for use by FDA, cause the products to be drugs." Those are the FDA laws for one and all with regard to unapproved drugs. The decision to go ad-free was to rid the wiki of ads for products like this which don't work and are not proven to do so. We hope 16:34, August 15, 2010 (UTC) Your large print copy makes claims about treating or curing diseases, while your fine print says they do nothing of the kind; you can't have it both ways. We hope 16:42, August 15, 2010 (UTC) They only want your money And they have the audacity to tell you this in the fine print on their website pages (see above). Look at the promises, "guarantees" and "proofs" in the ads and then look at the website's fine print. They're telling you their products don't cure nor even alleviate the conditions their ads are proclaiming they do. Regarding canine diabetes, let's borrow a bit from the Alternative Medications Warnings page, and you see it's impossible for Type 1 diabetics not to use insulin. "There is no medically recognized treatment for canine diabetes mellitus other than insulin injections. Type-1 diabetes, which is the form it takes in the majority of dogs, is the same as Type-1 diabetes in humans. Type-1 diabetics of all species must replace the insulin their bodies no longer produce. This can only be done with insulin shots. Oral medications are designed to stimulate the pancreas into producing more insulin. This is successful with some Type-2 humans with diabetes because their pancreases produce some, but not enough insulin for their body's needs, or their bodies are unable to properly use the insulin they produce. "Diabetics with Type-1 diabetes have beta cell dysfunction; this means they cannot produce insulin in response to any medicines because their pancreas is no longer able to do so. Regardless of what's said or promised, the only way Type-1 diabetics can produce their own insulin again is through pancreas or cell transplants, giving them new beta cells to do so with. While legitimate diet changes and supplemental medications can be of help in controlling diabetes, none of them can be the total answer in Type-1 diabetes. "The only recognized oral medications for control of diabetes are prescription drugs, approved in the US by FDA, in Canada by Health Canada, in the EU by EMEA, and by other legitimate medication regulatory bodies throughout the world. None of these medications have been recognized as being able to control Type-1 diabetes, but are for some cases of Type-2. The only recognized continuing medical treatment for diabetes mellitus Type-1 is one of the many forms of insulin therapy-for '''anyone' suffering from it. The amount of money and resources of pharmaceutical companies would not be directed at finding alternate, non-injectable insulin delivery methods such as Exubera (inhaled insulin) if insulin was outmoded." Let's also take a look at more on the page: "The scam and sham artists don't care one bit about you, about your pet, or about anyone who has diabetes--they only care about your money and how they can relieve you of it. They are in the "pet diabetes business" only because it appears profitable, just as they were and continue to be in the "human diabetes business". ' '"Your intelligence should tell you there's a reason why what they're selling isn't approved by any legitimate medical regulation agency in this world--because it doesn't work and may also harm you or your pet. ' '"Major pharmaceutical companies who produce insulins and oral diabetes medications would be happy to acquire rights or licenses to these products and sell them--at the same price or more than their current products. Because if they really did what their promoters say they do, they would be considered what pharmaceutical firms call "blockbuster" drugs/treatments, which would mean huge profits to them. Even with the staggering costs of having a new drug FDA-approved, something genuine of this nature would be very profitable. ''' '''And because this is true--if the substance truly and safely met all claims, why is it being sold on hole-in-the-wall websites? Why not on websites like these examples: *Levemir-US-Novo Nordisk *Apidra-US-Sanofi-Aventis *Vetsulin-Intervet If what the scamsters are pitching worked, they'd have enough money to have websites like Levemir, Apidra and Vetsulin." You can read more about the four scamming companies at the links at the top of this page. References Category:Scams Category:Content